Igniter for gas turbine engines



c. E. SEGLEM ET AL 2,864,234

Dec. 16, 1958 IGNITER FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINES Original Filed Oct. 11,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 28 I as I I I I I I I 1 1 z Dec. 16, 1958 c. E.SEGLEM ET AL IGNITER FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINES 'Original Filed Oct. 11,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'lllllllll Air O O O O O O O O Q and United StatesPatent IGNITER FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINES Clifford E. Seglem, Wallingford,and Stewart Way, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, tothe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyContinuation of application Serial No. 461,700, October 11, 1954. Thisapplication September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,784

3 Claims. (Cl. 60-3932) 7 The invention has for its principal object theprovision of means for igniting combustion reactants in and maintainingcombustion in the combustion chamber in order to insure efficient andproper operation of a gas turbine engine.

It is another object of the invention to provide igniter structure whichis arranged to inject a flame into the combustion chamber of a gasturbine engine in order to insure the combustion of fuel therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the annexeddrawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

According to the present invention an igniter is provided and forms anelongate continuous passageway providing a central ignition zone; aninlet end portion which is arranged to receive independent streams offuel and air and is also arranged to intermix the streams and to atomizethe fuel prior to its admission to the ignition zone and an outlet endportion in communication with the combustion chamber of a gas-turbineengine. The atomized mixture delivered to the ignition zone is ignitedand forms a flame which is injected into the combustion chamber of thegas-turbine engine through the outlet end portion of the igniter.

For a more detailed explanation of the invention reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of the igniter arranged inoperative relation with a combustion chamber;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. l in the directionof the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view generally on the line 33 of Fig. 1 in thedirection of the arrows and with portions broken away; 1

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view in partial section of a ;gas turbineengine and the igniter assembly.

InFigs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, 10 represents a combustion chamber of agas turbine engine wherein the primary combustion is to be carried outand 11 repre- :Sl1tS an enclosure for the combustion chamber and othervelements of a gas turbine engine.

The igniter structure is made up of a housing indicated -at 12 having aninlet section 13 integral therewith and an independently formed outletsection 14 which is in communication with the combustion chamber 10.

The housing 12 is generally cylindrical forming a "ice in a recess 15 inthe enclosure 11 as indicated in Fig. 1.- The outlet section 14 of thehousing is provided at its upper end with an annular flange 16 which isreceived on the flange 17 of the recess 15 and communicates with thelower end of the passageway 12a. At the upper' end of the passageway 12ais provided an inwardly exten-ding annular flange 18 and an aperturedcylindrical partition 19 has its lower end disposed on the flange 16 ofthe outlet section 14 and its upper end disposed in abutting relationwith the flange 18 and provides a cen-' tral ignition chamber 20.

The passageway in the inlet end 13 of the igniter above the inwardlyextending flange 18 receives several elements for mixingand atomizingthe fuel prior to its in jection into the ignition chamber 20. Theelements comprise an annular plate 22 shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and is:provided with a central aperture 23 which emerges from an enlargedrecess 24 in the upper face of the plate provid-- ing therewith anannular flange 25. An atomizing disk 26: is supported directly on plate22 and has a central aperture 27 which is aligned with the aperture 23.An insert 28, as shown in Fig. 1, is screw threadedly mounted intheinlet section 13 of the housing and is also provided with a centralbore 29, which is aligned with the aperture 27 in the atomizing disk 26.i

The insert 28 has its lower end in pressure contact with the atomizerdisk and its lower end portion is provided with an annular channelproviding a reduced diameter portion and forming an air compartment 30with the inner wall of the housing. A lateral opening 31 is provided inthe housing wall, is in communication with the compartment 30, and isadapted to receive a conduit for supplying air to the compartment whilethe upper end of the insert 28 is adapted at its upper end to receive aconduit for supplying fuel directly to the'bore 29 and into the ignitionchamber 20.

The atomizing disk 26, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is provided withflutes 35 which extend longitudinally of the disk periphery providing aperipheral fluted area. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bottom of thedisk is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending grooves 36 eachof which communicates with one of the flutes 35 and all of whichcommunicate with an annular chamber 37 which is generally centrally ofthe disk providing a continuous passageway from the compartment 30through the flutes, the grooves, and into the annular chamber 37. Theannular chamber 37, as shown in Fig. 4, is disposed directly above therecess 24; and air supplied to the annular chamber 37 will in effectswirl across the flange 25 and pick up or intermix with fuel fromaperture 27, in the enlarged recess 24; and the intermixed or atomizedmixture will be supplied through the aperture 23 into the ignition zone30. One or more longitudinal passageways 40 additionally are providedbetween the air inlet 31 and the central chamber 12a to provide anarrangement for supplying air directly to the ignition chamber 20through the apertured partition 19.

From the description of the atomizing assembly it will be understoodthat fuel supplied, for example, to the bore 29 of the insert 28 willpass directly through apertures 27 and 23 and into the ignition zone 20.Air which is supplied through inlet 31 will pass into compartment 30;the longitudinal flutes 35; inwardly extending grooves 36 and into theannular chamber 37 from which it will impinge on or swirl across theinner annular flange 25 of the plate 22 and intermix with the fuel inthe mixing or atomizing zone formed by recess 24; and the mixturedelivered in atomized condition to the ignition chamber or ignition zone20.

Referring to Fig. 5 for a general explanation of operation, thecompressor and turbine sections, of a gas turbine engine, which areexemplified by the blades 50 and 51 respectively, are initially operatedby an external power source; and air under pressure passes through thehousing 11 and into the combustion chamber 10. Fuel is supplied: to thecombustion chamber through fuel line 52 and" is mixed with the'airtherein and a flame will be produced in the ignition chamber 20 by theignition equipment consisting of the battery 53 and spark plug 54. Theflame so produced in the chamber 20 will be forced into the combustionchamber by the passage of the incoming airand fuel supplied to theignitor as before 'explained.

This application is a continuation or substitute application forapplication Serial No. 461,700 filed October 11, 1954, which is nowabandoned.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, combustion apparatus and an igniter thereforcomprising an elongate tubular housing, a first inwardly extendingannular flange at one end of the housing providing an outlet section, asecond inwardly extending annular flange at the other end of the housingproviding an inlet section and said flanges forming therebetween acentral chamber in communication with both said outlet section and saidinlet section, a centrally apertured annular plate in theinlet sectionand positioned on said second flange, a centrally apertured atomizingdisk in the inlet section having one face abutting said annular plate,an insert in the inlet section having an axial bore :therein coincidingwith the central apertures in the annular plate and atomizing disk forpassage of fuel from the inlet section to the central chamber, saidinsert having an enlarged outer end portion secured in the inlet sectionand a. reduced inner end portion abutting the other face of theatomizing disk and forming with the housing inner wall an annular aircompartment, a lateral opening in the housing wall in communication withsaid annular air compartment for supplying air thereto, an annulargroove in one face of the atomizing disk surrounding its centralaperture, a plurality of passageways in the ato-mizing disk providingcommunication between the annular air compartment and the annular groovein the atomizing disk, said second annular flan'ge having an enlargedrecess therein in communication with the apertures and annular groove inthe atomizing disk providing a chamber for mixing fuel and air beforeits admission to the central chamber and ignition means in the centralchamber for igniting the mixture prior to its injection into thecombustion chamber.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 further characterized by a perforate cylinderin the central chamber spaced from the wall of the housing and providingan outer air distribution zone and an inner ignition chamber and apassageway between the air inlet and the air distribution zone.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 further characterized by the passageways inthe atomizing disk comprising a plurality of flutes in the outerperiphery of the disk, each being in communication at one end with theannular compartment and at its other end with one of a series of passageways which radiate from the annular groove in the disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

